Human exhalations are contributing to the ongoing increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels that are driving climate change, according to a new study released today from the University of Northwest Florida (UNWF).
The four-year-long study by atmospheric scientist Lawrence Meany concluded that human respiration and conversation could be responsible for up to 12 percent of the greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere every year. And, Meany discovered, that percentage appears to be growing.
“At current global population growth levels — about 77 million people per year — the contribution of human exhalations to carbon dioxide concentrations could reach 15 percent by 2025,” Meany said. “Such rising impacts from basic human physical activity suggest the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) might have vastly underestimated future projections of greenhouse gas levels.”
Ironically, Meany further noted, the IPCC’s continued efforts to negotiate a global successor to the Kyoto Protocol are actually themselve contributing to rising amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
“It’s always been a cliche that politicians, and sometimes scientists too, are full of hot air,” Meany said. “Unfortunately, my findings indicate this is, in fact, literally true.”
Oh, and by the way … April Fool’s!
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Shirley Siluk Gregory
Shirley Siluk Gregory, a transplanted Chicagoan now living in Northwest Florida, represents the progressive half of Green Options' Red, Green and Blue segment. She holds a bachelor's degree in Geological Sciences from Northwestern University but graduated in 1984, just when the market for geologists was flatter than the Florida landscape. Just as well, though: she had little interest in spending her life either in a laboratory or, heaven forbid, an oil field. So, of course, she went into journalism. After extremely low-paying but fun and educational stints at several suburban Chicago weeklies and dailies, Shirley and her then-boyfriend/now-husband Scott found themselves displaced by a media buyout and spending the next several years working as freelancers. Among their credits: The Chicago Tribune, a publication for the manufactured-housing industry, and Web Hosting Magazine, a now-defunct publication that came and went with the dotcom era. Shirley's always been concerned about nature and conservation (and an avid pack-rat, as her family can attest to), but became even more rabidly interested in the environment primarily due to two factors: the growing signs that global warming was real and threatening, and the birth of her son, Noah, in 2003. Suddenly, the prospect of a world that might not be quite as habitable in 40 or 50 years took on a whole new, and personal, meaning. Living where she lives now also helped light the fire of Shirley's environmental awareness: her hometown was severely damaged by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, and beaten up again by Hurricane Dennis in 2005. That, and the fact that she and her family were vacationing in New Orleans until the day before Katrina -- and spent 12 hours driving home for a trip that normally takes 3 -- has made Shirley deeply appreciate how fragile our lifestyles are, and how dependent they are on sound management of natural resources and sustainable living practices. That's why she's become a passionate reader and writer about all things green and sustainable.
2 Responses to Yet Another Climate Change Cause ID’d
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Hey thanks for the great blog, I love this stuff. I don’t usually do much for Earth Day but with everyone going green these days, I thought I’d try to do my part.
I am trying to find easy, simple things I can do to help stop global warming (I don’t plan on buying a hybrid). Has anyone seen that http://www.EarthLab.com is promoting their Earth Day (month) challenge, with the goal to get 1 million people to take their carbon footprint test in April?… I took the test, it was easy and only took me about 2 minutes and I am planning on lowering my score with some of their tips.
I am looking for more easy fun stuff to do. If you know of any other sites worth my time let me know.
Heh! Very funny, and you almost had me convinced
Of course, as the Human population increases, one would expect an increase in exhaled CO2. But there is certainly no argument that some of us exhale more than others }:-)